


SOCKS

by JCOBryan1990



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Friendship, House Elves, Neville gets back at Flint, Neville loves Pansy, Payback, Professor Draco Malfoy, Professor Neville Longbottom, Romance, Socks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:53:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27685180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JCOBryan1990/pseuds/JCOBryan1990
Summary: Ever since Nagini, Neville Longbottom has always loved putting dirty snakes in their place...
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11
Collections: Paneville





	SOCKS

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Paneville_November 2020
> 
> Prompt: Socks

SOCKS

Neville walked into the brightly and homey dress shop. Waving at the young assistant welcome, he went to look around. He was looking for a new hat for his grandmother. It was still early but he only had a few hours this morning before meeting with Minerva about the new classes beginning at Hogwarts in September.

He had only been to the shop a few times, as the owner was Pansy Parkinson, but he really liked the quality on her work and his grandmother had seemed to have liked the few things he had picked up for her from the shop.

Neville was looking over the hats as Pansy came in from the back of the shop. He smiled and waved in her direction when she just stiffened her spine and turned from him with no returning greeting. Neville stood staring in her direction; he couldn’t understand her cool greeting.

He walked up to her, causing her to jump when she realized how close he was to her when she turned around. It was then he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and how red rimmed they were as if she had been crying.

“Pansy?” he softly asked, “Are you okay?”

“How can I help you today?” She answered curtly.

“You can tell me what’s wrong. It looks like you’ve been crying.” He gently guided her back to the hats with him that she hadn’t even noticed at first she had moved with him.

Shaking her head, “It isn’t any of your concern. I just had another fight with Marcus. I mean, I know that in my youth I didn’t make the best choices. Hell, who did during the war, right. Well, beside you and your lot.”

“My lot? Last time I checked you were part of that lot as well, we were all children.” He rubbed her back with tiny circles and she relaxed a bit more. “What was the fight over?”

“He saw us having lunch the other day when we were talking about how I could surprise him for his birthday. He said that if I was going to cheat on him then it should at least be with a real man. Sorry, Neville.”

Smiling he said, “Don’t apologize for him. I don’t give a rat’s arse what he thinks of me. You’re my friend and your opinion of me matters more than anything he could think of me. We know we didn’t do anything, but I just…”

She blinked up into his green eyes, shallowing hard, “But what?”

He ran his hand along the side of his neck, “I hate the way he treats you and the way he talks to you. You deserve better than Marcus fucking Flint.”

“Yeah, I know. That is why I moved out. I’m going to be living above the shop for a while. Get some things in order in my life.”

“Really? You did but then why are you still crying over him?” Neville asked.

Smiling she said, “It still hurts when you find out that you aren’t important. I mean I moved out Friday and Saturday he was already on a date with Astoria Greengrass. Can you believe that?!” She stomped her foot like a toddler and he thought she never looked more beautiful.

Neville suddenly had an idea and she must have noticed, “Neville? Why do you all of a sudden look like Draco’s crazy Aunt?’

He laughed as he took hold of her shoulders and said. “Are you Slytherin or not Parkinson?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Time to teach Flint that snakes aren’t the only thing I cut. Ms. Parkinson can you show me your best selection of socks.”

“Socks? Sure, right over here,” she pointed behind her, “why do you want to look at my socks?”

Laughing he said, “Just how many house elves does Flint own?”

“Seventeen why, oh, Neville, you’re a genius!” She jumped up and threw her arms around the taller man, her breath catching when she saw a heated look flash over his features as he held her.

Licking his lips, he whispered, “I would like to but twenty pairs of socks and that purple peacock hat over there.”

“Do you need delivery Mr. Longbottom?” She bit her bottom lip not caring her assistant was watching their entwined exchange.

* * *

That afternoon Neville was sitting in his office when Professor Malfoy walked in laughing, “There he is the great and powerful Snake Killer!”

Neville set his tea down asking is friend, “What are you on about?”

“I just let Diagon Alley where a very put out Astoria Greengrass was throwing an apocalyptic fit over her new boyfriend freeing all his elves by presenting them with socks?”

“Socks you say?” Neville leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head.

“Yes, socks. You wouldn’t know anything about it, would you? I mean, you were in Pansy’s shop this morning and I am sure you heard they split and the reasons.” Draco asked.

Neville placed his feet on the corner of the desk, raising his trouser cuff to show his green and silver sock clad legs, “I still have my socks. Seems to me Flint is having a bit of bad luck. I mean, he loses Pansy and his elves all in with a few days. Oh, well he still has Astoria, I’m sure she can be of assistance to him.”

The two men broke out in laughter lasting until both their sides hurt. When they calmed Draco became serious, “I love Pansy like a sister, and you know that, right?”

“Yeah, but Dra…”

“No, I just want to say thank you for being there for her when I can’t be. She is really special.”

Neville met his friend’s steel grey eyes as he said, “I know how special she is, I’ve always known.”

* * *

A few weeks later, Neville and Pansy ran into Marcus and Astoria at a new French restaurant in Diagon Alley. Marcus walked over to the table, "Pansy you left some things at the flat, do you know when you plan to come and retrieve them?"

Pansy didn't get a chance to answer before Neville stood at his full height, a good three inches taller than Flint, to say, "Flint, why don't you just have your house elves gather that up and send it over to her? Oh, what am I thinking, you don't have any elves any longer." Neville flicked lint off of Flint's robes.

Marcus pushed Neville's hand away when a deep voice came from behind Marcus, "Flint, I'd watch out for Longbottom if I were you. He loves collecting snakes. I mean first Nagini, then that gorgeous one at his table. Really feeling like he can't take you down?" Draco then turned and walked to his table where Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were waiting for him.

Neville smirked as Marcus returned to his table without another a word.

"Neville Longbottom," Pansy said, "I don't think I'm ever going to let you go."

"Then we're on the same page Parkinson, glad you finally caught up." He kissed her then not caring who saw.


End file.
